The Tengger Desert is located in Alxa Left Banner, Inner Mongolia, spanning the three provinces of Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, and Gansu, and is the fourth largest desert in China. We set off from Yinchuan, driving for 2 hours to Alxa, where we switched to an off-road vehicle to begin the Five Lakes crossing.
The Five Lakes include Camel Lake, Ulan Lake, Egg Yolk Lake, Hailouqi Lake, and Guitar Lake. Due to the weather not being very good, with overcast skies and no sun, the other lakes were not very prominent, but Ulan Lake still had a distinctive feature. "Ulan" means "red" in Mongolian, and the lake water presents a color similar to blood. This is due to the high content of Dunaliella salina and halophilic bacteria in the water, which release carotenoids, giving the lake its unique color. Aerial footage shows that Ulan Lake's shape resembles a heart, and the salt and alkali patterns look a bit like blood vessels, earning it the nickname "the heart of the Earth."
The off-road vehicle followed the shape of the sand dunes in the desert, going up and down frequently and often needing to make sharp turns, feeling a bit like a roller coaster with enhanced vibrations. Although the speed was not as fast as a roller coaster, the bumps were much more intense, leading some to jokingly refer to it as a "sand car." It is essential to wear seatbelts throughout the journey, and those prone to motion sickness or unable to handle the stimulation should be cautious.
In addition to stopping at the five lakes for photos, the off-road vehicle also parked at a high point on a sand dune for us to take pictures. Surrounded by dunes, the landscape undulated like waves in the desert, and the aerial video footage looked very impressive, making people feel very small in such a scene, allowing one to appreciate the greatness of nature.
The Five Lakes crossing takes about 2-3 hours, and every October, Alxa hosts a Hero Meeting, attracting many vehicles for self-driving adventures. Without relevant experience, driving in the desert can feel quite dangerous, and there have been reports of some vehicles overturning, leading to high rescue costs.
After exiting the desert, we got out of the off-road vehicle and drove to a desert camp near Zhongwei, Ningxia. To enter the camp, we had to switch to a hotel off-road vehicle, and this part of the journey was not as thrilling compared to our previous crossing. The desert camp offered several entertainment activities; we first tried ATV riding, which is suitable for various terrains. There were instructors to guide us on how to drive, allowing us to control the throttle while they advised when to turn and go uphill or downhill. It was a bit challenging for beginners, and I didn't dare to go too fast, maintaining a speed of about 20 km/h. We rode a large loop in the desert for about ten minutes. After that, we chose a more relaxed camel ride, where several camels were tied together, with a professional leading camel ridden by a staff member, while others rode the camels behind. We just needed to adjust our body direction according to the camel's movements. The camel ride also lasted about ten minutes, and we had to be careful when dismounting, as some camels were a bit unruly and didn't want to kneel down. After a reprimand, they suddenly complied, and at that moment, we had to hold on tight and adjust our bodies as we descended. Finally, we tried desert go-karting, riding a two-seater vehicle driven by a professional, which was like an open-top off-road vehicle, going at a speed of over 40 km/h. This allowed us to directly feel the desert wind and sand, so it was best to wear a sand-proof helmet or scarf. Fortunately, it didn't last long, about ten minutes, and it felt much more thrilling than riding in the off-road vehicle.
In the evening, due to light rain, the bonfire party was canceled, but fireworks could still be set off, although it took a long time to ignite. Strolling in the desert at night had its own charm; the damp sand was easier to walk on, feeling more solid underfoot. I didn't get to see the starry sky and moon of the desert, leaving a bit of regret. I hope to find another opportunity to visit the World Natural Heritage site of the Badain Jaran Desert, which is only a few hundred kilometers from the Tengger Desert, and should be closer starting from Zhangye, Gansu.